Posted on 03/12/2011 8:24:19 AM PST by MedNole
This alert was recently sent out to the Florida Medical Association's members, presaging a special-interest free-for-all as it tussles with the NRA over its bill banning doctor inquiries about gun ownership.
Dear Colleagues,
As you have probably heard, there is legislation moving in the Florida Legislature, SB 432 and HB 155, which is a major intrusion into the patient-physician relationship. These bills place the government in the middle of the relationship between doctors and our patients by regulating what questions physicians can ask during a private medical examination. This legislation criminalizes doctors who ask their patients about gun ownership to ascertain accurate and complete patient history as well as advise patients on gun safety. The bill also prohibits physicians from discharging a patient from his or her practice based on the patient’s refusal to answer a question. This is an inappropriate intrusion of government into the bond that exists between doctors and their patients. The FMA is adamantly opposed to these bills.
We urge you to contact your hometown legislators today and tell them that physicians strongly oppose SB 432 and HB 155 because it puts the government in the middle of the private relationship between physicians and their patients. At a time when we are facing a physician shortage and competing with other states to retain and attract physicians, HB 155 sends the wrong message. This legislation, if passed, would make Florida the only state in the nation to pass such an extreme measure and would send the message to doctors all over the country that Florida is an unfriendly place to practice medicine.
(Excerpt) Read more at tampabay.com ...
Surprisingly, my DR. has Field and Stream and other related gun and hunting magazines in his office.
He told me once, that he was gangbeat almost to death when he was in college, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he carries.
The NRA and Florida Medical Association can not be described as “Conservative” organizations.
The NRA endorsed flaming liberals like Reid and John Murtha as well as supporting most gun control bills.
The FMA is also a liberal bastion.
I’m a doctor, and a lifetime NRA member. This legislation bothers me because it is exactly the type of program that we accuse Obamacare of doing... a government intrusion into the patient-physician relationship.
I have a hard time with this.
Clearly, gun ownership is a Constitutionally guaranteed right. However, a physician needs to know if a suicidal or homicidal patient has a gun at home. Likewise, preventive medicine would make it important to know if you’re caring for a pediatric patient whether or not parents store their firearms in a way that kids can’t access them.
Unfortunately, there are some lefty doctors out there that undoubtedly use this as a way to promote a personal anti-gun agenda.
I don’t know that criminalizing the asking of questions is a good way to go about it.
As always, you’re free to fire your physician if you find that he or she is making recommendations contrary to what you wish to do.
The AMA is fairly liberal. The FMA certainly is not.
“I have a hard time justifying a year in jail and $1 million fine for a physician simply asking if a patient properly stores his/her guns. “
I don’t!
It’s a strong incentive to keep them out of our private business.
They ARE NOT simply asking if you “store properly”!
They want to know “who owns”, and will USE THAT INFORMATION AGAINST YOU!
Why would a doctor ask such a question? How is gun ownership a health issue? Might as well ask me if I own a microwave and if I know how to use it safely.
It’s not the Govt’s OR the doctors business how many guns you own or where you store them....
And the question itself is a Govt push...namely from the CDC...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2558940/posts
Remember this will be noted in your medical records...and they are electronic...and HHS has full access...
Now what could go wrong with that?
I concur that the punishment is overboard, but questions about guns in the house is not pertinent to treating the patient. How about a $100 fine, payable to the patient, for each question asked regarding guns in the house.
The doctors don't need to know if you have a gun or not;the purpose is to stigmatize gun ownership and YOUR ANSWER BECOMES PART OF YOUR MEDICAL RECORD which is accessible to insurance companies,and government agencies.
The doctors are assisting in a backdoor gun registration scheme.
In Indiana,a law enforcement person is forbidden from establishing and maintaing even a private list of gun owners,and for good reasons.
ALL forms of gun ownership lists have disarming the private citizen as the ultimate goal.
I support the NRA on this proposed law.
Doctor gun questions are an intrusion into MY privacy...
If it takes a law to shut up a doctor than I’m all for it...
Guns are NOT a decease.
“Clearly, gun ownership is a Constitutionally guaranteed right. However”
Should have stopped there....but no...
“Likewise, preventive medicine would make it important to know if you’re caring for a pediatric patient whether or not parents store their firearms in a way that kids can’t access them.”
Horse hockey.
For the record, I’ve never asked if a patient is a gun owner. It doesn’t matter in my line of work. But it certainly may be relevant for a pediatrician to instruct parents about proper securing of firearms, seeing as accidental deaths are a leading cause of death for children and teens. Do you think the physicians are part of some scam to get a list of gun owners, or are they simply trying to educate the parents of kids who may be around guns? What about free speech? Does anyone see this as an intrusion into the free speech rights of the physician? Maybe it should be illegal for third parties to have access to any records (including medical records) which contain information about gun ownership. That would make a lot more sense than sending a physician to jail for a year for simply asking a question and trying to potentially educate parents about the safe use and storage of firearms.
“However, a physician needs to know if a suicidal or homicidal patient has a gun at home. Likewise, preventive medicine would make it important to know if you’re caring for a pediatric patient whether or not parents store their firearms in a way that kids can’t access them.”
GARBAGE!
“physicians” don’t assess “suicidal or homicidal” tendencies!
And weapon storage is NOT the purview of a doc!
I don’t want my family members discussing MY security measures with ANYBODY!!!
What is the basis of that which entitles doctors to ask about guns in the home in the first place?
If memory serves, the medical profession has been collecting this data since the seventies and though I do not remember who they turned it over to the information did go into a data base.
I’m not suggesting fines for doctors at this point is appropriate. A discontinuation of the practice is.
Do physicians no longer have the right to free speech?
Like I said, I’ve never asked a patient if he or she were a gun owner (unless it was to compare collections). If a doctor asks you if you are a gun owner and you don’t like it, let them know. If you don’t like their response, find a new doctor. Why do you need a law and a criminal punishment?
Are we that weak as gun owners that we don’t have courage and we need help from the government to solve this non-issue??
What is the basis of that which entitles doctors to ask about guns in the home in the first place?
Free speech, for one.
If memory serves, the medical profession has been collecting this data since the seventies and though I do not remember who they turned it over to the information did go into a data base.
LOL, doubtful. Link???
Whoops. I did not mean a discontinuation of the medical practice. Just the weapons in home inquiry.
“Guns are NOT a decease.”
THAT was an unfortunate typo! (disease)
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